Holiday Road
by Thats My Name
Summary: "Remind me why we're driving to New Jersey to go to an amusement park?" The Jackson family take a road trip. Quick one shot, fluffy family conversations


_Just a little something inspired by my family's vacation this year, and the movie Vacation. I really wanted to do something about Percy and Annabeth as parents, and this is what appeared. Hope you enjoy_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson_

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_"I found out long ago_

_it's a long way down the holiday road"_

_-Holiday Road, Lindsey Buckingham_

"Remind me again why we're driving to New Jersey to go to an amusement park?" Annabeth asked from the front seat, turning to Percy who shot her an amused smile.

"Because it's an adventure!" he declared. "Right kids?"

"Does anyone else find it cliché that we're taking a family road trip?" Thirteen year old Amelia asked, leaning forward onto her elbows and arching her back to stretch out any kinks. Her black hair fell in front of her eyes, bangs almost brushing her cheek. She yanked her earphones out and tossed them on the seat next to her.

Jaden flicked the discarded headphones back towards his younger sister, who was ignoring her father's annoyance at her low amount of enthusiasm. The blonde-haired fifteen year old gave Amelia a goofy lopsided grin, similar to his dad's, and leaned across the empty seat between them. "Excited to ride the _tallest rollercoaster_ in the world?" he asked, an almost evil glint in the corner of his grey eyes.

Amelia's own stormy eyes hardened at the implication of his words. She had inherited Percy's aversion to heights, as well as most of his abilities with water, while Jaden was as smart as Annabeth and knew it. "Shut up," she muttered. Blushing slightly, she plugged herself back into her iPod, cranking the volume in an attempt to block out Jaden's taunts.

Sadly, no amount of Taylor Swift could stop her from hearing Jaden singing, "Well, aren't you scaaared now, little Lia."

She turned her full glare on her brother. "Shut up," Amelia repeated through her teeth.

Jaden's laugh was so full of menace at Amelia's unease, that none of his usual humor could be heard. "You are so scared it isn't even funny." He his grin widened. "Ten bucks you wet your pants."

"Shut your mouth before I-" Amelia paused before giving Jaden her own grin, an expression that immediately put the boy on edge. "Maybe Mom would like to know-"

"_Di immortales!"_ Jaden swore, throwing a Chips Ahoy cookie at her head.

"Mom!"

"She started it!"

"Both of you stop talking now, or I swear to the gods I will-" Annabeth stopped, turning around in her seat as she saw a flash of gold from underneath her daughters jean shorts. "Amelia Jackson, did you bring a weapon?" she demanded, giving her youngest child a firm look.

Amelia shrugged sheepishly, pulling the knife out of its holster. "Chiron said to always be armed outside of camp."

"I specifically said that this was going to be a chaos free vacation, no weapons needed. Percy, back me up on this. Didn't I say that?" she said to her husband, rolling her eyes as he shrugged and turned back to the road.

"Jaden has a sword in his duffel bag," Amelia supplied.

"Lia," Jaden hissed, eyes widening at the betrayal.

"What?"

"JADEN! I'm serious, if you two don't hand me all sharp objects this instant, we are turning this car around and heading right back to New York."

"Annabeth," Percy said softly, trying to calm her and the rest of the car. "When you were their age, would be caught anywhere without some way to protect yourself?"

"That doesn't make it okay for them to-"

"Annabeth?"

The woman sighed, and tilted her head back against the seat. "I'm not going to say your right."

Percy smiled, "I know."

Amelia quickly pushed her knife back up her pant leg and started talking at the same time. "Chiron almost decided to make us stay at camp for the rest of the summer session. He said that it might not be safe for us to be so far away._ I can feel something stirring in the depths of Tartarus,_ or something like that." She said the last part in an imitation of the centaur's deep voice. "And Chloe almost faked a monster attack to really put Chiron on edge. Apparently she couldn't spend a weekend away from her _wittle Jay-"_

"Amelia!" Jaden hissed, smacking her arm.

"Who's Chloe?" Annabeth asked, looking up from her architecture book to turn and stare at her son, not reassured by his guilty expression.

Amelia smiled slightly in an attempt to look innocent. "Oops."

"She's just a friend Mom," Jaden said, trying his best to sound convincing, but he was slowing crumbling under his Mom's stare.

"A _girl_friend?"

"NO!"

"Jaden!"

"Possibly."

Annabeth sighed, and tried to look serious as she addressed Jaden, "Have you been sexually active with her?"

"Mom!"

"Do we need to have that talk again, sweetie?"

"NO! Dad, maybe you wanna intervene here?"

Percy smiled at the boy in the back seat. His tan skin was flushed, and his eyes wide and pleading. The older man laughed. "Jaden, if you knock up a girl, the gods will screw you forever."

Amelia muffled a snort behind her hand.

"I'm serious, Jaden. We really have to-" Annabeth began, but was cut off by her son.

"This is all really interesting conversation, but personally I think that Amelia should have told you-"

"Stop!" Amelia shouted and lunged at Jaden, her hand covering his mouth before he could continue.

With one hand, Jaden peeled her fingers off his lips, and with the other, pushed the girl away from him. "Lia's been offered a quest!"

"WHAT!" The word exploded from both parents in the front seat. Percy jerked around to catch a glimpse of his daughter and accidentally turned the steering wheel. The car swerved dangerously for a moment before righting itself in the middle of the road.

The black haired girl shot her brother a dirty look. "Thanks a lot."

"When did this happen?" Percy demanded in his no-nonsense parenting tone, the one he only used when he was really worried.

"Um… just before we left," Amelia said, looking at her lap to avoid Annabeth's glare. "It's not a big one! The satyrs just noticed some strange monster activity in Arizona."

Percy stared at her in the rear-view mirror, "You are _not_ going on a quest."

"Jaden's been on one!"

Annabeth firmly said, "Jaden is fifteen, you're not old enough to travel across the country alone."

"Dennis and Megan are coming too," The girl said quietly.

"Why are you bringing that boy from the Aphrodite cabin?" Jaden asked, not sounding happy at her choice of companions.

"When were you planning on telling us?" Annabeth asked, still turned in her seat.

"After the trip."

"Why not right away?"

"I was hoping we would actually have _fun_ for once."

The car was silent as the family pulled into the Radisson Hotel. Percy parked the car near the exit, the farthest spot from the lobby, but no one got out. The silence lasted until it was almost awkward. Amelia bit her lip.

Percy sighed, "If you go on a quest and don't come back, you will be grounded for so long, you'll probably never see the outside of our apartment again."

"Really?" Amelia asked hopefully, bouncing slightly in her seat.

"Yes, fine."

She turned to Jaden," I knew they'd let me go, now pay up."

Jaden sighed and handed over a ten dollar bill. "You get away with everything," he muttered.

"Move it, kids! Unpack the trunk! I am so sick of this car!"

Annabeth smiled as she watched her two children rush out of their doors and then wrestle to grab their bags. She leaned against her husband, and sighed when he buried his face in the top of her head.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's stupid idea was it to go on a road trip, anyway?"

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_The ending is rushed, I know. I got kinda stuck, and I also know Annabeth is probably OOC when she doesn't want her kids playing with weapons. But I figured, who wants their kids running around with sharp, pointy items. And the over-reaction about the quest, I picture them being over-protective after living through a war._

_This was fun. I might do more with them as adults. Hmm..._

_Please Review!_


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